Man’s investment in community lives on through scholarship
Charles Craige said his brother Daniel was always focused on coaching basketball to the children in the St. Bede’s CYO community. When Daniel died in 2006 of esophageal cancer, a foundation was created to help children and their families with tuition assistance – but the idea for the foundation came from the community, not Craige.
If you look up at the rafters in the St. Bede’s gymnasium, you’ll see a banner bearing Daniel’s initials; the children also wear patches on their uniform that commemorate Daniel – a shamrock containing his initials sitting under a penguin, which was his nickname because he waddled. This logo is also on the bleachers. Always big into coaching, Daniel started at the Frankford Boy’s Club, at St. Martin of Tours parish, where he grew up, coaching football and baseball. When he moved to Bucks County he got involved with the basketball program, increasing St. Bede’s participation from four teams and 40 children, to 25 teams and almost 300 children.
“He was very involved in the community, particularly in the St. Bede’s CYO community,” Craige said. “He was the kind of guy that went above and beyond to get everyone involved in the program.”
That “above and beyond” aspect is compounded by the fact that Daniel never had any of his own three daughters participate in the program. In fact, Craige said that one of his favorite stories about his brother was when he held basketball practice — on the morning of one of his daughter’s wedding day.
“Danny had two practices,” Craige said. “One was the morning of his daughter’s wedding. He had three girls, all of them were getting their hair cut, and in his words, ‘What the hell was I going to do?’ So he held a practice that day. He also practiced on New Year’s morning, and would always pick up kids that didn’t have rides to practice on Saturday mornings.”
Following Daniel’s death in June of 2006, members of the community approached the Craige family. Four or five of them were involved in the St. Bede’s basketball program. A foundation was created bearing Danny’s name, which provides tuition assistance to eighth-grade students at St. Bede’s and St. Martin of Tours, for a varying number of years. The foundation also helps people in bad financial shape in the parish. In its short history, the foundation has donated about $70,000 in tuition and to members of the parish, and it started with a golf tournament, quickly thrown together after Danny’s death. The foundation recently wrapped up its fourth annual tournament in early October.
Craige said Danny’s work ethic, love for the community, and his passion for coaching rubbed off on him and his other brothers. And the proceeds from the foundation go exactly we’re they’re supposed to – back into the community, just as members of the St. Bede’s community made apparent after Danny’s death.
For more information on the Danny Craige Foundation, or to donate, visit www.dannycraigefoundation.org.
If you look up at the rafters in the St. Bede’s gymnasium, you’ll see a banner bearing Daniel’s initials; the children also wear patches on their uniform that commemorate Daniel – a shamrock containing his initials sitting under a penguin, which was his nickname because he waddled. This logo is also on the bleachers. Always big into coaching, Daniel started at the Frankford Boy’s Club, at St. Martin of Tours parish, where he grew up, coaching football and baseball. When he moved to Bucks County he got involved with the basketball program, increasing St. Bede’s participation from four teams and 40 children, to 25 teams and almost 300 children.
“He was very involved in the community, particularly in the St. Bede’s CYO community,” Craige said. “He was the kind of guy that went above and beyond to get everyone involved in the program.”
That “above and beyond” aspect is compounded by the fact that Daniel never had any of his own three daughters participate in the program. In fact, Craige said that one of his favorite stories about his brother was when he held basketball practice — on the morning of one of his daughter’s wedding day.
“Danny had two practices,” Craige said. “One was the morning of his daughter’s wedding. He had three girls, all of them were getting their hair cut, and in his words, ‘What the hell was I going to do?’ So he held a practice that day. He also practiced on New Year’s morning, and would always pick up kids that didn’t have rides to practice on Saturday mornings.”
Following Daniel’s death in June of 2006, members of the community approached the Craige family. Four or five of them were involved in the St. Bede’s basketball program. A foundation was created bearing Danny’s name, which provides tuition assistance to eighth-grade students at St. Bede’s and St. Martin of Tours, for a varying number of years. The foundation also helps people in bad financial shape in the parish. In its short history, the foundation has donated about $70,000 in tuition and to members of the parish, and it started with a golf tournament, quickly thrown together after Danny’s death. The foundation recently wrapped up its fourth annual tournament in early October.
Craige said Danny’s work ethic, love for the community, and his passion for coaching rubbed off on him and his other brothers. And the proceeds from the foundation go exactly we’re they’re supposed to – back into the community, just as members of the St. Bede’s community made apparent after Danny’s death.
For more information on the Danny Craige Foundation, or to donate, visit www.dannycraigefoundation.org.
